First Day Continued....

Sorry I wasn't able to finish yesterday's thoughts sooner. We are all over the place and if I don't keep up now, I will never be able to remember it all!

So, yesterday, we leave the airport after all the waiting, heat, a rental car with a cracked windshield, broken bumper etc. I know it would be manual transmission but that's ok since Paul and I have driven stick shift before.

The moment you drive out, the extreme poverty hits you like a knife in your heart. It's all about survival here. Plain and simple. Hanoffs of cash are the key to everything. I saw how it works. They do a hand shake like a clasp of their fists and as they let go, there is always cash folded up in a tiny bunch which is then transferred over. That is a unofficial agreement to put them ahead of someone else, do a better job for someone, etc.

Do you remember the baby I posted on Facebook a awhile back that was found alive in the trash? Pastor Ramon said that a man found the baby, knew he was a pastor and told him he could buy her from him. One of the hardest things in the world to face, but he knew he couldn't agree to that because child restaveks are everywhere here. By buying that baby to save her, he would only be promoting child slavery even more.This is life in Haiti.It is not the small percentage guys, it's rampant, truly everywhere you turn.

I only saw 1 traffic light here so far and that was a total joke. It's just about who drives faster, they go on sidewalks to drive around you to your right and also in between 2 way traffic like what would be on our yellow dotted lines. That just becomes a third avenue.

So, then we first go to our clinic. What an amazing place! It will officially be open for the first time since under tarps Tuesday with my husband Paul as the first doctor. The work they have done is beyond belief when you realize how difficult it is to accomplish anything here. The clinic is downstairs and the living quarters are upstairs.They have taken a leased building that is structurally sound and created a reception area, triage, pharmacy and treatment rooms. Now they are building structures outside in the walls where the people can wait in the shade, clean water for them, a playground for the children while they wait and a station for locals to charge their cell phones since they have either no power or very little at all. It is going to change so many lives and it is here to stay no matter what!

Them we drive to a Catholic orphanage for handicapped children. When our teams first found it, the 24 children had soiled diapers they had been wearing for 2 weeks. There was only 1 large bag of rice for their food and there are also 20 some nuns there as well. The Catholic church is not financially supporting them. The only money they receive is from the congregation from another church. We met all the children and all the sweet nuns. Humbling. There are always young guys also with guns at these places as well as at every gas station to keep people from stealing. Those guys were also at the Avis rental place when we had to return our car for another one today because it had a break fluid leak.

So, Paul offered to come back to that orpahanage Friday to treat the nuns and children there. We also have a team from our nondenominational church coming in tomorrow I believe, with special ed teachers to assess the kids and teach the nuns how to properly handle things.

Then, we arrived at our orphanage. Wow! Beautiful, loving, organized, thought out, nurturing,,,,The children are so, so incredible. I am slowing learning each of their personalities. Faith is a priority here and they want to bring these children up to stay here and be able to take over their own country some day to teach others what is right and just. Two fo our children were child slaves as well.

Then,,,after so much sweating and dry, dry dirt roads, the sky turned black and thunder began. It had not rained here in 6 days and they needed the rain. I will tell you, there are very few mosquitos. I have only seen one so far.

The storm brought not only heavy rain but also a true picture as to the kids. They were playing out in the storm in the pouring down rain, thunder and lighting, laughing, running, sticking their heads directly under the down spouts as the water hit their heads, filling buckets and buckets and buckets of water to throw on Andy and Anna. I have great photos which I will try to share with you guys soon.Michelosn got out there too playing basketball with Mackson who is one of our older boys, soaking wet, but having a ball!

Then came dinner, incredible food made by the ladies who work here. Followed by the girls helping Anna and I setting up our mosquitos nets over our air mattress on the floor we are sharing as they are singing in Creole. Awesome stuff!!

I stayed up late talking to Luz until about 11:30pm outside on the benches. We were the last ones up but it was really nice. And when I headed upstairs, Anna and the 4 girls were fast asleep under their nets, some snoring but all content and that was just as it should be :)